Kids raise zoo money in lots of different ways

The St. Louis Zoo's fund-raising drive to finance new attractions has met its goal. Part of that success came because lots of St. Louis area kids chipped in money.

In this article, Young Saint Louis.com gives some examples of fund-raising efforts by school kids throughout the area. Individual school profiles involve:

• Stix Early Childhood Center
• Nipher Middle School
• Mary Queen of Peace School

(For an earlier story about kids' fund-raising efforts for the Zoo, click here.)

Stix Early Childhood Center

Kids in teacher Hollie Covington's first grade class led the way in fund-raising at Stix Early Childhood Center. That's a city magnet school near Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Their money-raising started last fall after they took a field trip to the zoo. The class' first event was a "pajama party for penguins." The kids each contributed 25 cents and then got to wear their night clothes to class for a party.

They also had "rhino day" and a read-a-thon. Then, just before the December holidays, they had a "beach party" where they wore bathing suits to class.

By January, kids in other classes at Stix decided to make the Zoo fund-drive school-wide. By the time the effort ended last month, the whole school had raised over $500.

That earned the school a special commemorative brick, with its name baked in. It will be displayed permanently at the zoo's South Plaza entrance.

Kids in Ms. Covington's class raised over $100 of the school total.

Seven-year-old Willow Pastard said, "I didn't know about the brick." But, when she heard about it, she broke into a big smile.

Willow said her favorite fund-raising idea was the last final one. That's when kids each brought a dollar and got to eat lunch with Ms. Covington. She said, "It was worth it."

Seven-year-old Kristian Edwards brought money for all of the monthly parties. However, he said, "I didn't take part in the pajama and beach parties."

Six-year-old Tyler Todd said she liked the pajama party. But, she added, "I almost forgot my pajamas at home that day."

Most of the kids had been to the zoo. Tyler said she liked the storks the best, "especially when they flap their wings."

Seven-year-old Michael Peters said he liked the new zoo displays where kids can get extra close to the animals. He also likes that there are no barred cages.

He said, "They made the lions' home real low so they can't climb the walls and get out." He added the fact that you can see the hippos both above and below water "is really cool."

Nipher Middle School

Kids in Nipher Middle School sixth grade special education class made a special trip to personally deliver their Zoo collection.

They had to endure a long trip from Kirkwood by Bi-State bus to make the delivery. But, once there, they got a Zoo tour. That included a visit to the new River's Edge exhibit.

Twelve-year-old Kyl Johns said his class was in charge of planning the fund drive for the whole school. One of Kyl's suggestion was a poster contest. Student entries were posted throughout the school.

Seventh-grader Greg Copeland's poster was judged the winner. He came along on the zoo trip with teacher Randy DeGarmo's sixth graders. While there, Greg got to picked out a Zoo T-shirt. That was the poster contest's first prize

Kyl said he also wrote a zoo article for the Service Learning Club newsletter. The class also put together several announcements over the school's loudspeaker system.

Eleven-year-old Myles Clayton said he contributed to the fund drive. "I'd pick up money around the house and hand it in," he said.

During their zoo trip, the kids handed in over $75 from their collection efforts. That was enough to let them adopt an animal at the Zoo in the school's name.

In a class vote, the kids decided to adopt a penguin in the new Penguin and Puffin exhibit.

Myles said he'd been to the zoo before and liked the reptile exhibits the best. "I like how big and long the snakes get," he said.

But, Kyl said, "I like the whole zoo. I can't pick out any one part as my favorite."

Mary Queen of Peace School

When asking kids to donate money, Zoo officials said all efforts--big or small--were important. Some efforts involved whole schools, like Stix school.

But, at Mary Queen of Peace School in Webster Groves, collections involved only two fourth grade classes. Kids in teacher Mary Hillmeyer's class didn't have regular events in class. They just put extra money in whenever they had it.

The kids put the money in a special Zoo coin box. When they sent in their money last month, they sent the whole box. They didn't even know how much they contributed.

Ten-year-old Dorothy Finney said, "When I went to the cafeteria, if I had money left over, I'd contribute." She said she would chip in about twice a week.

Abby Dryden was one of the fourth graders who had been to the Zoo recently to see some of the new exhibits. She said she liked the hippos in the new River's Edge exhibit. That exhibit has a see-through wall so you can see the hippo, both above and below the water.

Ten-year-old Abby said, "When I was there, the hippo ran into the glass wall because he couldn't see it. When he hit the wall, he spun around in circles."

Ten-year-old Chris Vorbeck was another who contributed leftover lunch money. He said he's been to the Zoo but hasn't see the new exhibits yet.

"But, my mom said we could go when school is out," he said. Chris also said books about animals are among his favorites.

Ten-year-old Patrick Mulvihill was another kid who hadn't see the new exhibits. "When I was there last, all that area was under construction," he said.

"We'll probably go in the summer because my grandmother is a Zoo member," he said. Patrick said he likes "all the safari animals," such as elephants, hippos and rhinos.